Category: google daydream

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First Videos Of Google Daydream 6DOF Controllers In Action Arrive

First Videos Of Google Daydream 6DOF Controllers In Action Arrive

A few months back Google announced that it was developing a pair of six degree of freedom (6DOF) controllers to be used with the Lenovo Mirage Solo standalone VR headset. The device, which runs on Google’s Daydream platform, needs to be fitted with a new faceplate that allows for the controllers to be tracked without the need for external sensors. Today, we’ve finally seen those controllers in action for the first time.

Alex Coulombe of Agile Lens was one of the first to receive a development kit for the new controllers, which are being sent out to studios now. He’s been posting the first videos of the controllers in action on an insightful thread on Twitter, coming away with some key findings.

Overall, Coulombe seems very happy with the controllers, describing them as “really, really good.” The field of view (FOV) for tracking is apparently “surprisingly wide” and the tracking quality is “on par” with Microsoft’s PC-based Windows VR headsets, which also use inside-out tracking. Coulombe used the controllers across a number of apps, discovering that they imitate Daydream’s standard 3DOF remote in pre-existing apps.

There are some caveats; Coulombe says the dev kit is battery-intensive and that the controllers cause tracking upsets when obstructing each other.

Other than those issues, though, it looks like a promising start for Google’s 6DOF controllers. The company hasn’t yet announced any plans to make them available to consumers, though we’re hoping for that news in the near future. With Oculus Quest fast approaching, we’re looking forward to seeing increased competition in the standalone VR scene.

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AMD Radeon ReLive: SteamVR-Streaming-Software für mobile VR-Brillen

AMD veröffentlichte kürzlich eine neue Version der Streaming-App Radeon ReLive für Nutzer der hauseigenen Grafikkarten, um SteamVR-Inhalte auf mobile sowie autarke VR-Brillen zu übertragen. Derzeit werden die Google Daydream, Lenovo Mirage Solo und HTC Vive Focus unterstützt. Ein Support für Oculus Go und Gear VR soll zeitnah folgen.

AMD Radeon ReLive – SteamVR-Streaming-Software für mobile VR-Brillen

Mit der App Radeon ReLive veröffentlicht AMD eine neue Möglichkeit zum Streamen von VR-Inhalten aus Steam auf mobile VR-Brillen. Das Feature ist Teil der neuen AMD Radeon Software Adrenalin 2019 für PC. Die Übertragung soll ohne spürbare Latenz und in hoher Qualität gewährleistet werden.

Derzeit werden folgende Grafikkarten von AMD unterstützt:

  • RX 470
  • RX 570
  • RX 480
  • RX 580
  • RX 590
  • RX Vega

Außerdem ist die Software aktuell ausschließlich mit Windows 10 kompatibel. Ein 5-GHz-WLAN-Router (802.11ac) ist ebenso empfehlenswert, um eine optimale Performance zu ermöglichen.

AMD-Radeon-ReLive-Streaming

Zur Nutzung der neuen Funktion muss die neue App Radeon ReLive for VR auf der VR-Brille installiert werden. Daraufhin sollte sich automatisch eine Verbindung zwischen SteamVR und der Hardware herstellen. Weitere Informationen zur Installation finden sich hier.

Zu beachten sei jedoch, dass nur VR-Titel mit Gamepad-Steuerung auf der Vive Focus bzw. der Daydream spielbar sind. Die 3DoF-Controller der mobilen VR-Brillen bieten keine Möglichkeit zum vollständigen Raumtracking. Um eine 6DoF-VR-Erfahrung mit der neuen Streaming-Software zu erleben, müssen wir uns bis zum Release der Oculus Quest gedulden. Derzeit ist der Service mehr für das Streaming von VR-Filmen und -Erfahrungen geeignet.

Die Radeon ReLive For VR App ist kostenlos im Google PlayStore erhältlich. Ein Support für Oculus Go und Gear VR soll in naher Zukunft folgen.

(Quellen: Upload VR | Video: AMD YouTube)

Der Beitrag AMD Radeon ReLive: SteamVR-Streaming-Software für mobile VR-Brillen zuerst gesehen auf VR∙Nerds. VR·Nerds am Werk!

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Shattered State: VR-Polit-Thriller von Supermassive Games für Daydream veröffentlicht

Entwicklerstudio Supermassive Games veröffentlicht heute in Kollaboration mit Google den neuen VR-Polit-Thriller Shattered State exklusiv auf der Daydream-VR-Plattform. Innerhalb des VR-Abenteuers müsst ihr als Oberhaupt des nationalen Nachrichtendienstes schwierige Entscheidungen fällen, welche die Zukunft des Landes nachhaltig verändern könnten. Dabei liegt der Fokus mehr auf Storytelling anstatt des eigentlichen Gameplays, um eine völlig neue Zielgruppe anzusprechen.

Shattered State – VR-Polit-Thriller von Supermassive Games für Google Daydream

In Shattered State übernehmt ihr die Rolle des Direktors des Bundesnachrichtendienstes der Vereinigten Staaten (National Intelligence Agency), um aus eurem Büro heraus schwierige Entscheidungen zu Staatsangelegenheiten zu fällen, welche das Land für immer verändern könnten. Dazu zählt der Kampf gegen Terrorismus, ein militärischer Putschversuch, Regierungs-Leaks und mehr. Dabei stehen euch eure Berater zur Seite, um euch über diverse Optionen und deren Auswirkungen zu informieren. Je nach ausgewähltem Weg wird ein anderes Resultat freigeschaltet, was die Geschichte nachhaltig verändert.

Insgesamt 40 Minuten Spielzeit erwarten euch innerhalb des VR-Titels. Allerdings können neue Spiel-Sessions mit anderen Entscheidungen zu einem neuen Ende führen. Der Fokus des politischen VR-Abenteuers liegt jedoch weniger auf dem Gameplay, sondern mehr auf interessantem Storytelling. Dadurch ist die VR-Erfahrung eher als interaktive VR-Serie, inspiriert von Serienklassikern wie Homeland zu verstehen, welche eine komplett neue Zielgruppe ansprechen soll.

Shattered-State-Google-Daydream-Supermassive-Games

Eine Folgerung, die durch die gewählte Veröffentlichungsplattform unterstrichen wird, denn die mobile VR-Brille Daydream ist kostengünstig zu erhalten und ermöglicht einen einfachen Einstieg ohne große technische Kenntnisse. Das Angebot richtet sich also eher an Netflix-Konsumenten als VR-Vollprofis, weißt aber dennoch großes Potenzial auf. Schließlich ist Entwicklerstudio Supermassive Games kein unbeschriebenes Blatt in der VR-Entwicklung. Bereits mit Until Dawn: Rush of Blood, The Inpatient und Bravo Team konnten sich die Entwickler im Markt etablieren.

Shattered-State-Google-Daydream-Supermassive-Games

So erläutert Simon Harris von Supermassive Games:

“Dies war eine Gelegenheit, einige der Erkenntnisse aus The Inpatient in Bezug auf VR-Storytelling zu nutzen. Eine Gelegenheit, in ein neues Genre, einen politischen Thriller einzusteigen. Und der Markt ist komplett anders. Wenn wir Titel für PlayStation VR entwickeln, rufen wir bestimmte Erwartungen bei den PSVR-Spielern hervor. Auf Plattformen wie der Daydream geht viel mehr darum, dass Leute zum ersten Mal VR ausprobieren, es geht darum, mit neuen Erfahrungen zu experimentieren. Die Erwartungen dieses Publikums liegt weniger auf dem Gaming-Aspekt, also war es diese perfekte Möglichkeit dafür.”

Shattered State ist ab sofort für 8,99 Euro im Google Playstore für Google Daydream und Mirage Solo erhältlich.

(Quellen: Upload VR | Video: Supermassive Games YouTube)

Der Beitrag Shattered State: VR-Polit-Thriller von Supermassive Games für Daydream veröffentlicht zuerst gesehen auf VR∙Nerds. VR·Nerds am Werk!

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Supermassive Games Launch Daydream Exclusive Shattered State

UK based Supermassive Games has made a name for itself in the field of virtual reality (VR), debuting with two titles for the PlayStation VR launch, Tumble VR and Until Dawn: A Rush of Blood, and subsequently doubling their output in 2018 with The Inpatient and Bravo Team. Today, the development studio moves onto a new platform, Google Daydream, with the release of Shattered State.

Shattered State screenshot

Shattered State: Leading A Brave New World

Shattered State is a story led adventure videogame, in which the player takes on the role of a new government body, the National Intelligence Agency, during a time of unrest. The fictional country has been torn apart by civil war, with the north and south at political and economical odds. The people in each of the new democracies feel they haven’t been treated fairly by the other side, and so when a terrorist attack hits your capital city it’s up to you to determine who is responsible, and how to deal with the fallout during a state of emergency.

“We give you the role of the director of the National Intelligence Agency, which is a fictitious federal security organization in a fictitious country,” states Steve Goss, Director of Design and Technology at Supermassive Games, in an interview with VRFocus. “It’s a country driven by political disagreement; it’s a country with nationalism and liberalism, and minorities. It reflects a super view of what the world – of what countries – can feel like.

“We put you into a political situation of this country’s worst ever day, and we ask you to make decisions on the fate of the nation.”

Developing for Google Daydream

Developing Shattered State for mobile VR after having spent years working on high-end PlayStation 4 projects was certainly a challenge, Supermassive Games readily admits. “We’ve worked with very high-end platforms, very popular platforms, like Sony’s VR platform, and doing something on a mobile VR platform is a big challenge. Bringing our production values into that space; that’s been something we wanted to try and do,” says Goss. “We wanted to make a story – an experience – that could be consumed on a mobile device.

“For lots of creative reasons and technical reasons, it was a challenge we really felt wanted to go for, and we came up with a story and an idea which I think sits well on the platform.”

Shattered State screenshot

Shattered State Now Available for Google Daydream

Shattered State is now available for Google Daydream compatible devices exclusively, downloadable via the Google Play Store. The videogame is priced at £7.99 GBP, and you can watch the full interview with Goss in the video below. Stay right here with VRFocus for more on Shattered State coming soon.

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Stream Games Easily to Standalone VR Headsets With Radeon ReLive and the AMD Link app

In its continued race against Nvidia to provide gamers with the latest resources for not only playing, but streaming and recording content using its GPU’s, AMD has today announced the launch of the Radeon Software Adrenalin 2019 Edition. 

AMD

The new software suite comes with a plethora of new and upgraded features, some which you might never use, others which will become indispensable.

While the company has ensured that the software is supposedly more stable than ever, offering performance improvements of up to 15 percent since the last Adrenalin launch, the big addition where VRFocus is concerned is streaming.

Thanks to Radeon ReLive and the AMD Link mobile app, gamers can stream PC videogames and video to mobile phones, tablets and standalone VR headsets. The app is free on both Android and iOS devices, and you can stream to HTC Vive Focus, Oculus Go or and smartphone which supports Samsung Gear VR or Google Daydream. You will need compatible AMD Radeon GPU’s which include: RX 470, RX 570, RX 480, RX 580, RX 590 & RX Vega series products.

AMD

In addition to the VR specific updates, the new suite also adds:

  • New Radeon Advisors help new and novice gamers get the most from Radeon Graphics with game and system settings recommendations.
  • Improved performance and power management with Radeon WattMan technology, giving gamers one-click controls for auto-GPU and memory overclocking and undervolting. Paired with the Radeon Chill power-saving tool, gamers save up to 20 percent more power in select titles.
  • Stunning, fluid imagery with AMD Radeon FreeSync 2 HDR technology that provides auto-tone mapping for vivid colour contrast and exceptional detail across FreeSync-supported displays.
  • Monitor, record, and tune in-game with access to system performance and in-game display enhancements thanks to Radeon Overlay. You can now use voice commands to control Radeon ReLive and track performance metrics within the AMD Link app.

Download the Radeon Software Adrenalin 2019 Edition here. For any more AMD updates, keep reading VRFocus.

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Cross Platform Multiplayer Shooter Slightly Heroes is Out Now

Indie developer Hatrabbit Entertainment seem to enjoy some virtual reality (VR) fun at Christmas, launching its debut title Merry Snowballs in 2017. Continuing that trend, the studio has now released its second VR experience, a light-hearted, Pixar-inspired first-person shooter (FPS) called Slightly Heroes.

Slightly Heroes

Slightly Heroes is a casual 1vs1 shooter that’s been designed to be as accessible as possible, featuring free locomotion no matter which platform you’re using. Hatrabbit Entertainment has ensured headset support is extensive, Oculus Go, Oculus Rift, HTC Vive, Samsung Gear VR, Google Daydream, Windows Mixed Reality and the Lenovo Mirage Solo are all compatible.

The idea of Slightly Heroes is that you take the role of part-time heroes and villains like Captain Lawsuit, Agent Meow, and Judge Greg, brandishing what looks like a paintball gun to dispatch opponents. That’s not all, as players can find special weapons and power-ups to make the fight that bit more interesting.

“We see Slightly Heroes as the Mario Kart for a shooter audience. It’s easy to jump in and play but there’s also plenty of satisfaction for the more hardcore gamers”, says co-founder Andreas Chryssovitsanos in a statement. “The mobile VR space is really missing out on great multiplayer games where you can move around naturally instead of teleporting. Now even the most sensitive players can enjoy free movement action on all platforms”.

As with any VR multiplayer, there’s always that nagging issue regarding trying to find online opponents. Well, the studio has thought of that, adding a solo mode featuring AI opponents for players to practice against ahead of an online battle.

Slightly Heroes isn’t listed on Oculus Store just yet, but it is available via Steam with a limited time discount. Until 18th December there’s 20 percent off, dropping the cost from £7.19 to £5.75 GBP. VRFocus will continue its coverage of Hatrabbit Entertainment, reporting back with any further updates.

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Get Closer to the Formula 1 Grand Prix Action With The Dream VR

Formula 1 (F1) is one of the most well-known motorsports, with some considering the pinnacle of racing. Just like most sports fans want to get up close and into the action, seeing their favourite cars and drivers. To make this easier than ever, F1 has partnered with The Dream VR to provide plenty of behind-the-scenes immersive entertainment. 

Singapore F1 Grand Prix

The Dream VR will offer its users unique access to Formula 1 events, enabling fans to share in the excitement of the starting grid, podium celebrations, and the Pirelli Hot Laps. They will also be able to ‘walk’ along the paddock, enter exclusive hospitality facilities, feel the adrenaline of a team garage and share the fans’ experience in the grandstand.

Content will be available via The Dream VR app later this month, with content from the 2018 F1 season arriving before Christmas. To start with viewers will gain access to the 2018 Mexican Grand Prix, including behind-the-scenes footage of Lewis Hamilton’s fifth world title celebration, followed by the Formula 1 2018 Etihad Airways Abu Dhabi Grand Prix soon after.

VR 360º experiences will be recorded at ten races next year, to be distributed via The Dream VR app.

To enjoy the new F1 content when it arrives all you need to do is download The Dream VR app for Oculus Rift, Oculus Go, Samsung Gear VR, Google Daydream and HTC Vive. The app also supports iOS and Android devices as well as smart TV’s. It features a range of 360-degree content – not just sport – with categories like food, music, art, and fashion to name a few.

As further updates are made to The Dream VR, VRFocus will keep you updated.

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Trinus VR Comes To Daydream, So Now The Mirage Solo Can Act As A PC VR Headset Too

Trinus VR Comes To Daydream, So Now The Mirage Solo Can Act As A PC VR Headset Too

Trinus VR, an app which uses video streaming via your WiFi or USB to let mobile and standalone VR headsets act as if they were PC VR headsets, launches in early access today for Daydream. Daydream is Google’s VR platform which runs on compatible smartphones and the Lenovo Mirge Solo standalone headset.

That means that if you have a Daydream compatible smartphone and a gaming PC, you can grab a cheap DayDream View headset for $50 on Amazon and jump into SteamVR content that doesn’t rely on 6DoF headset or tracked controllers.

If you’re running Trinus with the Mirage Solo, things go to the next level. The software supports the headset’s 6DoF positional tracking, passing it through to SteamVR. You can duck, lean and walk around the experience (provided you disable the Solo’s built in 1×1 meter boundary system). Trinus claims the solution will have the VR game on your PC render at the correct 75Hz refresh rate of the Mirage Solo.

Trinus also claims support for PSVR and Google Cardboard. For Oculus Go and Gear VR users, the open source project ALVR already provides the similar functionality as Trinus for those headsets. Trinus tell us they plan to add support for Go and Gear VR in Q1 2019.

To keep perceived latency low and compensate for dropped frames in the transmission, Trinus incorporates its own asynchronous reprojection on the headset itself. Of course, the problem with Trinus and all apps like it is that image quality and latency still don’t match using a real PC VR headset. This isn’t generally caused by the wireless transmission itself (in fact, Trinus even supports wired over USB) — it’s actually the compression. Neither WiFi nor USB have sufficient bandwidth to transfer the raw image to a VR headset, so compression is used. This introduces artifacts to the image, but it also adds latency because it takes the PC time to encode each frame.

The main thing that prevents Trinus from being a true PC VR solution is Daydream’s controller, however. While it has a touchpad, it lacks even a basic trigger, and is rotation-only 3DoF, not 6DoF positional. Trinus is said to support two controllers at once, but most of SteamVR’s content really needs positionally tracked input to be playable. Trinus really only works well as a solution for playing gamepad games.

Update: Story updated after publication for greater clarity.

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Mozilla Updates Firefox Reality With 360 Video and Improved Language Support

In September web browser developer Mozilla launched its dedicated virtual reality (VR) browser to facilitate seamless movement between the 2D web and the immersive web, Firefox Reality. Today, the company has announced the first major update to the app, adding new features whilst improving others.

Firefox Reality

With the release of Firefox Reality 1.1 new features included are 360 video support with a new dedicated theatre viewing mode, additional language support in the form of Chinese (Mandarin – simplified and traditional), French, Italian, German, Spanish, Japanese and Korean, plus expanded voice search support to the new localised languages.

Local bookmarks have also been added (cross-device syncing is coming soon) alongside automatic search and domain suggestions in URL bar. The 2D UI performance has been improved as well.

In an expansion to the Firefox Reality content feed, Mozilla has added cult director/designer Keiichi Matsuda’s video series, including his latest creation, Merger. 

“Keiichi’s work explores how emerging technology will impact our future lives,” a press statement explains. “His earlier video HYPER-REALITY presents a provocative and kaleidoscopic new vision of the future, where physical and virtual realities have merged, and the city is saturated in media. His new film Merger is about the future of work. Set against the backdrop of AI-run corporations, a woman finds herself caught between virtual and physical reality, human and machine. As she fights for her economic survival, she finds herself immersed in the cult of productivity, in search of the ultimate interface. This short film documents her last 4 minutes on earth.”

Firefox Reality

Firefox Reality 1.1 is now available for download in the Viveport, Oculus, and Daydream app stores, supporting Vive Wave devices, Oculus Go and Google Daydream View respectively. You’ll find the full release notes on Github, and for further updates keep reading VRFocus.

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The Limit: VR-Actionfilm mit Norman Reedus für sämtliche VR-Plattformen erschienen

Mit The Limit veröffentlicht STX Entertainment einen neuen VR-Actionfilm mit Starbesetzung für sämtliche VR-Plattformen. Zur Besetzung gehören Michelle Rodriguez (unter anderem bekannt aus Fast & Furious 8) und Norman Reedus (The Walking Dead). Regie führte Robert Rodriguez (unter anderem bekannt für Sin City (2005)). Der Titel ist bereits für Oculus Rift, HTC Vive und mobile VR-Brillen erhältlich. Die Version für PlayStation VR (PSVR) soll in naher Zukunft folgen.

The Limit – VR-Actionfilm mit Starbesetzung

In The Limit dürfen die Zuschauer und Zuschauerinnen in eine actionhaltige Agentenstory mit Sci-Fi-Elementen eintauchen. Dabei spielen bionische Upgrades, die Frage nach der eigenen Identität sowie der Kampf gegen eine böse Organisation eine zentrale Rolle. Genre-typisch darf eine Verfolgungsjagd mit Autos sowie ein Sprung aus einem Flugzeug natürlich auch nicht fehlen. Die Laufzeit beträgt ca. 20 Minuten.

Vick Rey, Leiter des STXSurreal Studios (eine Unterabteilung von STX Entertainment), findet große Worte zu dem immersiven Filmwerk:

“Die Veröffentlichung von The Limit ist ein Wendepunkt für die VR und gibt Fans von Premiumentertainment einen überzeugenden Grund dafür, ihre VR-Brillen aufzusetzen. In Übereinstimmung mit dem Modell von STX haben wir dafür auf bekannte Talente gesetzt. So wurden Robert, Michelle und Norman, die gemeinsam mehrere Millionen Fans auf der ganzen Welt aufweisen, angeworben, um neue Wege zu beschreiten und diesen kategoriebrechenden cineastischen VR-Film zum Leben zu erwecken.”

The-Limit-Robert-Rodriguez-Norman-Reedus

Das Studio STX Entertainment arbeitet derzeit an einer ganzen Reihe von immersiven Live-Actionfilmen in VR. Neben der jüngsten Veröffentlichung soll eine VR-Adaption von Jay and Silent Bob unter der Regie von Kevin Smith, ein Dave Bautista Action-Comedyfilm, ein Sci-Fi-Thriller im Unterwasser-Setting von Johannes Roberts und ein Thriller von Christian Gudegast folgen.

The-Limit-Robert-Rodriguez-Norman-Reedus

Image courtesy: STX Entertainment

The Limit ist derzeit zum reduzierten Preis für Oculus Rift und HTC Vive im Viveport für 4,24 Euro sowie im Oculus Store für 4,99 Euro erhältlich. Ebenso für mobile VR-Brillen wie Oculus Go, Gear VR und Daydream in den entsprechenden digitalen Stores. Die Versionen für PlayStation VR (PSVR) und Windows-VR-Brillen sowie iOS und Steam folgen in Kürze.

(Quellen: Road to VR | Variety | Video: STX Entertainment YouTube)

Der Beitrag The Limit: VR-Actionfilm mit Norman Reedus für sämtliche VR-Plattformen erschienen zuerst gesehen auf VR∙Nerds. VR·Nerds am Werk!